Loom picker



March 26, 1957 6. WEST, JR

LOOM PICKER Filed Sept. 1, 195:5

INVENTOR. GEORGE WEST, JR.

j ATT'Y.

for present day use.

United States Patent 1.00M PICKER George West, Jr., Waynesville, N. C., assignor to The Dayton Rubber Company, a corporation of Ohio Application September 1, 1953, Serial No. 377,879

6 Claims. (Cl. 139-159) This invention relates to improved loop picker-s for controlling the throw of loom shuttles.

In the art of weaving, looms are customarily employed which incorporate a freely traveling shuttle which carries the weft or filler thread as it passes back and forth transversally of the longitudinal warp threads of the woven goods. This shuttle, as it passes across the lay of the loom, is free from association with any of the working parts thereof, and accordingly must rely upon the momenturn imparted to it at each end of the transverse travel, this momentum being imparted by its impact with the loop pickers. These pickers are attached to the end of picker sticks which are activated by the loom in such a manner as to allow the loop pickers to absorb the impact of the oncoming shuttle and immediately thereafter to strike the shuttle so as to impart sufficient force to send it in a reverse direction.

The shuttle itself is usually composed of metal or wood, and is relatively heavy so that the force of its .impact with the loop picker imparts considerable vibration to the picker and, through the picker stick, to the loom as a whole. The force of this impact of the shuttle striking the loop picker also has considerable wearing effect upon the picker itself, both at the points of contact between picker and shuttle and at the area of contact between the picker and the picker stick upon which it is mounted. This wearing effect both upon the picker and directly'upon the picker stick and the loom as a whole is considerably increased on present day looms wherein the shuttle travels back and forth across the lay thereof at very high speed.

As a result of this increased wearing and deteriorating effect of the high speed shuttle, the previously known pickers which were usually composed of leather, fabrics, or certain resinous materials have proved unsatisfactory Recognizing the problem of increased vibration resulting from the impact of the shuttle upon the loop pickers of high speed looms, others have previously proposed the use of a rubber shock absorbing portion located between the shuttle contact surface and the picker stick mounting. While the loop pickers incorporating this shock absorbing feature have to a certain extent in some instances reduced the wearing effect.

upon the picker stick and the loom as a whole resulting from their vibration, few steps have been taken to improve the wearing properties of the picker itself by providing cushioning capable of protecting it from the force of the shuttle impact. Furthermore, the previously provided shock absorbing portions have been so arranged that the stresses imparted to the picker upon its contact with the shuttle have been unevenly distributed, being concentrated at points where the shock absorbing portion is'united with the rest of the picker, with the result that premature failure at these points of contact has frequently occurred. In addition, since these stress concentrations took place at the points where the shock absorbing portions were bonded to the rest of the picker, the' bond itself was forced to absorb the major portion of the wearis 2,786,492 Patented Mar. 26, 1957 ing effect with the result that a satisfactory bond between the rubber portion and the remainder of the picker was difficult if not impossible to achieve. This was particularly true since the rubber layer did not become an integral component of the picker.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved loop picker capable of satisfactory operation on modern high speed looms.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a loop picker capable of cushioning the impact of a shuttle so as to reduce the damaging effect of the vibration and wear upon the picker itself as well as upon the rest of the loom.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a loop picker of molded construction in which the components are firmly integrated and uniformly cushioned.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method for the manufacture of pickers of the type herein considered.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention which will be apparent upon a reading of the following disclosure, it is proposed to provide a loop picker having a forwardly positioned face block or hammer portion, a picker stick receiving passage to the rear thereof, and a rubberized fabric cover surrounding the exposed side surfaces of these components. in accordance with this invention, the forwardly positioned face block, which is adapted to receive the main portion of the impact of the picker with the shuttle, will be composed of laminated fabric layers separated at one or more points by a layer of elastomeric material. The face block of the picker of the present invention, in addition to incorporating the cushioning layers above referred to, is to be surrounded on all of its side surfaces by a fabric encasement so as to restrain the deformation of the cushioned face block under impact with the shuttle.

Where, as is usually the case, the front shuttle contacting surface of the picker is provided with a shuttlereceiving cavity, usually of conical or parabolic configuration, the present invention contemplates that such shuttlereceiving cavity should be molded rather than formed by the removal of material from the picker as by cutting, drilling, etc. The impression of this shuttle-receiving cavity upon the front face of the picker construction will result in deformation not only of the cover layers forming this front surface, but also of the laminated material forming the face block or hammer portion immediately therebehind. As a result of this deformation of the face block, the cushioning material therein will be made to conform to the general concavity of the shuttle contacting recess so that this recess will be at least partially surrounded by the elastomeric cushioning material.

In this novel construction, the cushioning material is so arranged that the picker stick and other loom parts are protected from the shock of the shuttle impact; and, at the same time, the various portions of the picker itself such as the picker stick receiving passage, the face block or hammer portion, and the outer cover are protected from the wearing effects of such impact. In view of the fabric cover surrounding the entire picker about its side surfaces, and further in View of the fabric casing surrounding the face block on all of its side surfaces, the uncontrolled deformation of the cushioning material is prevented and the deflection of the same is sufliciently restrained so as to provide a uniform distribution of the impact load throughout the entire picker so that the wearing effects of this load are not concentrated at any one point. At the same time, where the upper and lower surfaces of the picker, including the face block, are not so enclosed by a'cover, suflicient deformation is allowed to a provide the necessary desired cushioning of the shuttle impact. This exposure of the picker and particularly the cushioned face block at its top and bottom surfaces allows the deformation of the same to take place in a vertical di rection while being confined by the cover in a lateral direction; and it has been found that such a construction not only adequately protects the picker stick and the loom to which it is attached from damaging vibration, but also confines the cushioned impact of the shock load to the plane in which the picker stick oscillates so that torsional stresses are not imparted to the stick. Furthermore, the slight deformation of the picker in the vertical direction results in nominal fiexure about a horizontal axis and this fiexure causes the picker to grip the stick more tightly during the impact.

Where the shuttle-receiving cavity is molded into the front face of the picker according to the present invention, thus resulting in a consonant deformation of the cover and the face block laminae, particularly the cushioning laminae, the resulting construction is one in which the elastomeric cushioning material partially surrounds the shuttle-receiving recess. The cushioning material arranged in this manner provides a cushioning of the shuttle impact not only in a plane normal to the direction of this impact but also at a variety of angles to this direction in which strain is likely to occur. In this manner, not only is the picker stick protected from the shock of the shuttle impact, but the bulk of the picker itself is cushioned therefrom.

In the following detailed description, in connection with which reference may be had to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is set forth so as to more clearly illustrate the features of this invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a picker stick with a picker of the present invention mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on a horizontal plane through a typical loop picker of the present invention prior to its vulcanization.

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross section of a preferred picker of the present invention taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section of the preferred picker shown in Figure 1 taken along line 44 thereof.

Referring now to Figure 1, reference number designates generally one preferred loop picker according to the present invention as it is mounted upon a picker stick 11 by insertion of the latter through the picker stick receiving passage in the picker as shown at 12. In front of this picker stick channel 12 and exposed to the top and bottom surfaces of the picker is the face block portion 13 which face block and picker stick receiving passage are surrounded by the rubberized fabric cover 14. In the front or shuttle contacting surface 15 of the loop picker is shown the shuttle-receiving cavity 16.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown in horizontal cross section the manner in which a picker stick such as that described in connection with Figure 1, may be assembled. In one preferred assembly or manufacturing procedure a strip of rubberized fabric is wound about a small mandrel or rod 18 which conforms to the dimensions of the picker stick opening that is desired in the final picker. After one or more convolutions of the rubberized fabric have been made about this mandrel 18, the strip is then wound one or more times about a pre-formed face block 19, one side of which is adjacent to one side of the picker stick receiving channel 17. In order to accomplish the greatest integrity of construction and, at the same time, to avoid the necessity for an added number of splices, it is usually preferred that the same strip of fabric that has been thus wound one or more times around the combination of the face block and the picker stick cavity forming mandrel, be additionally wound thereabout so as to form the outside fabric cover portion 20.

In the preforming of the face block 19, any wellknown laminating procedure may be employed. For

example, a narrow strip of rubberized fabric on the order of 4 in. in width may be wound about a mandrel, preferably of large diameter. To provide the desired rubber cushioned picker of the present invention, after one or more turns of the first laid fabric 27 have been placed upon the mandrel, a strip of elastomeric cushioning material 21 cut to a similar width; i. e., A in., may be wound about the built-up fabric on the mandrel. Thereafter, additional portions of one or more layers of fabric such as 22, 24 and 26 may be wound upon the mandrel separated by any number of additional elastomeric cushioning strips such as 23 and 25. The laminated annulus thus built about the mandrel may be removed therefrom and cut to suitable lengths for incorporation in the picker building operation proper. In this preferred form of the invention, however, it is to be noted that the face block having been thus built upon the man drel is provided with a fabric casing about its four side surfaces prior to being positioned in proper relation with the picker stick receiving channel 17 of the picker in the process of being built up.

For convenience and economy in the manufacturing process, the loop picker is usually built in the form of a continuous blank which is formed from layers of fabric from say 2 to 4 feet in width. When this continuous blank method of construction is employed, it is of course desirable that the material forming the face block 19 likewise be left in continuous form. The individual pickers may then of course be formed by cutting the blanks to the desirable widths either before or after they have been finally vulcanized.

In the molding and vulcanization of the pickers built according to the above-described procedures, a simple two-part, multiple cavity compression mold may be employed. The individual picker blanks are provided with a core to form the picker stick receiving channel and are placed in the mold so that their front face may be contacted by protrusions positioned within the mold cavities so as to form the shuttle-receiving recesses. For example, the picker blanks, with the picker stick channel cores placed in the loop portions thereof, may be forced into cavities in the lower mold member so that the front shuttle contacting surfaces of the pickers will be in the plane of the parting line. The underside of the upper mold member may be provided with protrusions positioned to register with the cavities of the lower mold member, so that, upon the forcing together of the two members, the shuttle receiving cavities will be impressed in the picker faces.

The vulcanization of the pickers is effected by the application of heat and pressure to the members of the mold in the cavities of which they are confined. A steam heated platen hydraulic press is suitable for this purpose. It is during this vulcanization that the rubberized fabric of the cover, loop and face block become integrally united to form a unitary structure. It is also during this vulcanization that the elastomeric cushioning layers become deflected and become fixed in partially surrounding relation to the shuttle-receiving cavity.

The nature of the final loop picker built according to the method described above in connection with Figure 2 is best shown in Figures 3 and 4 representing respectively horizontal and vertical cross sections through the picker and picker stick of Figure l. The final picker as shown in Figures 3 and 4 results from the subjecting of a loop picker built in accordance with the method described in Figure 2 to vulcanizing conditions of heat and pressure such as in a compression mold. In the particular modification shown, it will be noted that the shuttle-receiving cavity 16 is impressed in the front shuttle contacting surface 15 of picker 10 prior to the subjection of the laminated material to the molding temperatures. While the particular cavity shown in the drawing is substantially hemispherical, it is to be understood that the same may be conical or parabolic in cross section to conform to the contour of the shuttle head with which it will come in contact.

Because the cover layer such as 20 of Figure 2, and the face block such as 19 of Figure '2 are originally built in an undeflected arrangement, the impression of this shuttle-receiving cavity 16 during the molding operation will cause a disconfiguration of this cover portion and face block. Thus in Figures 3 and 4 it can be seen that the outer fabric cover around the sides of the picker are deflected and shaped to line the shuttle cavity 16. At the same time, the laminated fabric portions 28 and the interdisposed elastomeric cushioning layers 29 are similarly displaced to assume a concavity similar to that of the shuttle-receiving recess 16 so that this recess may be said to be partially surrounded by these laminated portions. Furthermore, in view of the fact that the edges of the picker are reinforced by the outer fabric cover 14 which is not present along the top and the bottom surfaces thereof as best shown in Figure 4, the deflection or deformation of the material within the face block 13 is restrained in lateral direction whereas it is allowed to occur more freely in vertical direction. As a result of this control of deformation during the molding process, the width or lateral dimension of the shuttle-receiving cavity is surrounded or backed up by one or more layers of the elastomeric cushioning composition which has substantially uniform thickness. At the same time, however, above and below this center portion of the picker to the rear of the shuttle-receiving cavity, the elastomeric cushioning composition is built up in greater thicknesses as best shown in Figure 4. It is this unique type of cushioning arrangement which has been found to most satisfactorily absorb the shock of the shuttle impact thereby protecting the picker stick and the loom to which it is attached from excessive vibration and at the same time to protect the portions of the loop picker itself from the wearing effect of the repeated shuttle contact.

As a further restraining influence upon the deformation of the material of the face block having a shuttlereceiving cavity formed therein, the face block as above described may have a closed fabric encasement separate from the fabric-winding forming the picker as a whole. This fabric encasement, like the outer fabric cover 20 of Figure 2 or 14 of Figures 1, 3 and 4, confines the face block only upon its side surfaces leaving the top and bottom thereof free to expand and deform both upon the impression of the shuttle-receiving cavity during the building process and upon actual contact with the shuttle during operation of the picker.

While only one cushioning layer may be employed in the construction of the face block such as 13 of Figures 1, 3 and 4 or 19 of Figure 2, it has been found desirable to build the face block of separated portions of laminated fabric corresponding to 27, 22, 24 and 26 of Figure 2 separated by interpositioned layers of the elastomeric cushioning material such as 21, 23 and 25 of Figure 2. This intermediate positioning of the elastomeric cushioning composition in relatively lesser thicknesses as opposed to the incorporation of a single thickness of greater dimension has been found to add further to the desired deflection of the face block and picker in general as the same is contacted by the high speed shuttle.

The fabric forming the outer cover portion, the picker stick receiving channel, the face block fabric laminae and the face block fabric encasement are preferably rubberized or impregnated with a rubber or synthetic rubber-like material. Such elastomeric material may include the well-known synthetic rubber compositions such as the butadiene-styrene copolymers known as GR'S, the butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymers known as GR- A, the polychloroprenes (neoprene), and the polysulfldes (Thiokol), as well as natural rubber. To achieve greater toughness and durability, it has been found desirable in certain instances to incorporate other resinous compositions, specifically the therr'nosetting' synthetic resins, such as the phenol-formaldehydes, in the fabric impregnating material. These elastomeric compositions may be applied to the fabric material in normal calendering operations known as frictioning which is usually done on both sides of the fabric, or by dipping, spraying or other well-known methods. The fabric itself in the above-enumerated portions is preferably of cotton but may be composed of any of the Well-known synthetic fibers, such as nylon, rayon, glass, etc. and blends thereof with cotton or others of the same synthetic (fibers. It has been found that in order that the loop picker be able to withstand the greatest amount of shock loading with the least amount of distortion and breakage, the fabric should be square woven, that is, one having substantially the same weight and number of threads in the warp as in the weft or fill direction and should be cut straight or straight-laid, that is, cut so that either the warp or the fill threads are parallel to the cut.

The elastomeric composition employed in the cushioning layers may, like the elastomeric composition employed in impregnating the fabric above described, comprise natural rubber as well as the known synthetics such as GR-S, GR-A, neoprene, Thiokol, and the like.

Although the present invention has been set forth in particular detail in connection with the preferred embodiment described above, it is to be understood that references to this preferred embodiment, the manner in which and the materials of which it is composed are purely for purposes of illustration and are in no way intended to limit the scope of this invention as particularly defined in the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a molded rubberized fabric loop picker for flyshuttle looms having a forwardly positioned face block, a picker stick passage rearwardly thereof, an outer cover surrounding said block and said passage, and a concave shuttle-receiving recess on the front surface thereof, that improvement wherein cushioning is provided for absorbing the shock of the shuttle impact which comprises at least one cushioning layer consisting of elastomeric composition positioned behind said shuttle cavity and laminated fabric layers positioned in front of and behind each cushioning layer, said cushioning and fabric layers substantially conforming to the concavity of said shuttle cavity whereby cushioning is provided at substantially all points of contact between the shuttle and the picker.

2. A loop picker formed of molded rubberized fabric for fly-shuttle looms comprising a forwardly positioned face block, a loop portion positioned to form a picker stick receiving passage adjacent one surface of said block and a concave shuttle-receiving cavity on the opposite surface of said block wherein the face block comprises at least one cushioning layer consisting of elastomeric composition, and laminated fabric layers positioned in front of and behind each cushioning layer, said cushion ing and fabric layers substantially conforming to the concavity of said shuttle-receiving cavity and positioned in partially surrounding relation with respect thereto whereby cushioning of the shuttle impact is provided over a substantial portion of the surface of contact between shuttle and picker.

3. A loop picker according to claim 2 wherein said face block and said loop portions are surrounded by a rubberized fabric cover around the sides of the picker.

4. A loop picker according to claim 3 wherein said cover is deflected at the point where it passes over said shuttle-receiving cavity and conforms to the configulation thereof.

5. A molded rubberized loop picker for fly-shuttle looms comprising a forwardly positioned face block, a loop portion positioned to form a picker stick receiving passage adjacent one surface of said block and a concave shuttle-receiving cavity on the opposite surface of said block, said block including laminated fabric portions interposed with elastomeric cushioning layers, said layers substantially conforming to the concavity of said shuttlereceiving cavity and positioned in partially surrounding relation with respect thereto whereby cushioning of the shuttle impact is provided over a substantial portion of the surface of contact between shuttle and picker 6. In a molded rubberized fabric loop picker for fiy shuttle looms including a loop portion positioned to form a picker stick receiving passage, the improvement comprising a face block adjacent one surface of said passage, said face block including laminated fabric portions interposed with elastomeric cushioning layers and wrapped with rubberized fabric, said block substantially References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 1,851,232 Bacon Mar. 29, 1932 2,149,568 Bacon Mar. 7, 1939 2,313,354 Moe Mar. 9, 1943 2,440,182 Muller Apr. 20, 1948 2,534,203 Moe Dec. 12, 1950 um)- I 

